Chapter 10
Bowen
The man across from me was scruffy, in clothes too big, but handsome in a wild sort of way.
When he smiled, though, I could see some of the fear and worry fall off him, and damn, he was gorgeous.
Especially when his eyes flared with the wolf behind them.
And hearing him call me his, well, I wasn’t being entirely forthcoming about the way that made me feel.
It wasn’t a lie. I meant that I understood the protectiveness from my non-human friends, but with him… fuck, I wanted to hear it again.
“You can really talk to animals, like actually understand them?” Rudy asked.
“Yup. It’s not something I go around telling people usually. The times I have, it never ended well.”
“Yeah, I can imagine. Sometimes it’s easier and safer to keep the secret.”
Rudy had locked himself away to hide his wolf side.
The thought of him in that room alone, his wolf panicking and enraged, and not being able to let someone in…
it made my heart ache. I shook my head. “No. Not easier. Safer, yes, that’s probably true.
But not being able to be your full self is never easier. ”
His gaze met mine, and I could feel the weight of how deeply he felt what I said.
My secret kept me from any real kind of relationship.
Mostly, I’d been fine with that, finding people to be rather tedious, but it didn’t mean I never got lonely.
Never wished for a romantic or sexual partner, or to have someone to come home to.
Animals filled the need for comfort and companionship, but not in the same way that a person would.
For Rudy, I imagined it was much the same. He had friends who knew about him and cared for him, but it didn’t stop him from letting fear drive him into a cold, hollow room.
Rudy blinked hard and cleared his throat. “How did that all start? The animal thing?”
“I don’t really know. As far back as I can remember.
” I played with the cuff on my wrist out of habit.
My eyes caught on the pewter knot design.
A wolf. The sight of it sent a spark of electricity through me.
I’d worn it every day since it had been given to me, but sitting across from a man who could turn into a wolf, it made me see it with new eyes.
Why was it a wolf? Did that mean anything?
“Are you a witch? Zee thinks you might be.”
“A witch? No, I don’t think so. Though whatever it is, I think I might have inherited it. Nobody ever said for sure, and I was young when he died, but I think my great-grandfather might have been like me.” I traced a finger over the knots I’d memorized on my bracelet. “Who’s Zee?”
“Oh, Zephyr, he’s the griffin I mentioned. He’s the head chef.”
The chef! The chef was Rudy’s best friend? “And why does he think I might be a witch?”
Rudy’s cheeks flushed again in that way I found refreshingly endearing. He was a man who couldn’t hide his emotions, and I rather liked that after having dealt with so many people who never said what they were thinking.
His blue eyes slid to the other side of the couch, bringing fresh flames to his cheeks. It had me looking at the couch as if I could see what he saw. “Because… I’ve been a little out of sorts lately.”
“And how does that equal me being a witch?”
Rudy scruffed his hand through his hair, making it messier and somehow sexier. “Well, it started when you got here, and he thinks you’ve done something to me.”
“Ah. That explains it.” The chef had it out for me from the first meal, and I couldn’t figure out what I’d done to him.
Rudy sat up, and his eyes narrowed. “Explains what?”
“Your friend, Zee, has been a little hostile when I’ve gone to the dining room.”
His eyes turned a pinkish hue, and I could see his teeth visibly lengthen. It was incredibly fascinating to watch his face change right in front of me. “What did he do?” The words boomed out of him, deep and gravelly, and damn, if they didn’t go straight to my dick.
I reached across the table and grabbed his hand, keeping my voice calm. “It’s okay, Rudy. It was nothing more than a few pointed stares and a firm message. Even if I didn’t understand it at the time, he was trying to protect you, like you want to protect me.”
Rudy closed his eyes tight and breathed deep as I smoothed my thumb over the back of his hand, feeling him relax beneath my touch.
When his eyes opened, they’d returned to his normal blue.
I thought he would pull his hand away from me, since it seemed as if he’d been trying to keep some distance, but he turned it over and held my hand back.
With a half smile, he said, “I’m sorry he did that. I’ll talk to him.”
“It’s all good. At least I know why now. It makes me happy to know you have people looking out for you. Or… griffins? He’s really a griffin?” When Rudy nodded in confirmation, I asked, “Is everyone here some sort of animal-man-creature-person?”
Rudy relaxed more, but his hand stayed in mine. “No. There are all types of beings. You know Maxime, right?”
I pictured the petite man who worked the front desk. “Yeah. What is he?”
He huffed out a laugh. “I’m not sure I should say, but I’ll deal with that later. He’s a vampire.”
“Holy shit! Are you serious?”
“Yeah. But don’t ask me how old he is, he won’t tell me,” Rudy said with a smile.
“A vampire? An actual vampire? What about the daylight? I’ve talked to him in the middle of the day.” I kept repeating the word in my head, as if that would make it more real. But then, I was sitting here with a werewolf, who also wasn’t supposed to exist, so what was the difference?
“He has to be careful in direct sunlight, but it’s not like you’ve seen in the movies.”
“Wow. Unreal.”
“I have a question for you,” Rudy said, his fingers still gripped lightly around mine. “How did you end up here if you didn’t know what this place was?”
My instinct was to play it off as a random occurrence, but Rudy had been so open and trusting with me and deserved nothing less in return. “I was led here by a series of events and guided by a variety of animals.”
“Really? Why did they send you here?” His head cocked to the side, making my lips tug up at the corners.
“They told me I would be safe here.” Of course, none of them told me what made this place unique, which might have been helpful information.
Rudy’s brow furrowed, and his hand tightened around mine. “Safe from what? Are you in danger?”
I sucked on my teeth in contemplation. “I don’t really know. I’ve been feeling this sense of dread for a while, and lately, the animals I’ve encountered have sensed it, too. At times, I can convince myself it’s all in my head, but other times… I’m not so sure.”
Before I could even blink, Rudy leapt over the coffee table and crouched beside me. He grabbed me and tugged me against him. When he spoke against my ear, I could hear the mix of wolf and man in his voice. “You’re safe, Bowen. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
I felt it. In his presence, in his embrace, knowing how big and fierce he could be, I felt safe.
Wrapping my arms around his back, I nuzzled against him.
The sensation of being held by such a large man was entirely new to me.
I’d been with a few men in the past, brief as it was, but I never would have picked a person whose size and strength so outweighed my own.
Now, I was with a man who could become twice his current size, and I wasn’t intimidated or afraid, but comforted by the knowledge of who and what he was.
I would have stayed happily tucked against him if it weren’t for the ding of his phone interrupting the moment.
Rudy released me and sat back on his heels with a hesitant smile. “I should probably check that in case there’s an emergency.”
I bobbed my head, even as I hoped he wouldn’t have to leave.
This was the longest conversation I’d had with another person in years, and for the first time, I found myself not wanting it to end.
Talking with Rudy and learning more about a world I didn’t know existed was way more fascinating than any small talk I’d been forced to endure in the past. I liked being with him.
He was sweet but also a little possessive, which was all kinds of thrilling and endearing.
With his phone in hand, he glanced up at me before returning his attention to the screen. “It’s nothing; they’re making lunch plans. I gotta admit, I’m hungry. It’s been a weird day, and I’ve worked up an appetite fighting my wolf all morning. But…”
My stomach grumbled in response. I was definitely ready for something to eat. “But what?”
Rudy blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m going to say something that might come across as too much. I don’t know how not to be too much with you, but know that you have a choice here.”
I reached up and squeezed his arm. “Tell me.”
“I want you to stay. Stay right here with me. I’m not ready to leave this room or to let you leave.
” His hands clenched at his sides, and I could see how hard he was fighting whatever battle he was in.
“I will, though. My wolf won’t like it. Even the idea is making him want to break free, but I’ll hold him back.
I’ll get to my room and keep him there, just say the word. ”
I slid my hand up his arm, over the curve of his shoulder, and played with the ends of his hair. He was so reactive to my touch. The way he closed his eyes and leaned into it made me want to touch him everywhere. “Thank you for saying that, but I’m not going anywhere.”
His eyes opened, and I could see the hope in them. “You’re not?”